December 31, 2016

Bring 2017 in with Affordable Style!

“Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right.” — Mark Twain

2016 will be over in just a few hours! Drinking champagne is a very popular part of many New Year’s eve celebrations. In today’s blog, I’m going to highlight 3 types of champagnes at 3 different price points – 1) Korbel from Sonoma (www.korbel.com), 2) Roederer Estate Brut from Anderson Valley (www.roederer.com ) and 3) Veuve Clicquot from France (www.veuveclicquot.com ).

Korbel Cellars Champagnes offer affordability with consistent quality and taste. With 10 offerings that range from the driest with the Korbel Natural to sweetest with Korbel Sweet Rosé, the price conscious customer will find a champagne to please their individual taste buds. Most groceries and liquor stores stock the Korbel Brut, Extra Brut and Brut Rosé in prices ranging from $10.00 – $15.00 per bottle at full retail price. Today you can find it on sale in many locations for as low as $7.00 a bottle. Take a look back at my blog from February, 2016 to get ideas on how to pair Korbel Brut with fruits for a fun cocktail.

Korbel Brut Champagne

The next champagne that I would like to highlight is from the California vineyards of Louis Roederer. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to conduct a wine sampling with Roederer’s Brut and Brut Rosé at a local Spec’s Wine, Spirits and Finer Foods store. The Brut is not as dry as other Bruts that I have sampled before. It features a complement of pear, spices and hazelnut. This Brut has a crisp hint of fruit making it easy to enjoy. The Brut Rosé is slightly sweeter having a higher concentration of Pinot Noir to Chardonnay blending (55:45). This is a great Champagne for those who likes a slightly sweet Champagne that holds the structure of the crisp, dry Brut. Both use oak-aged wines in the blend to lend a slight spiceness. The price of these Champagnes range from $19 – $25 per bottle.

Roederer Estate Brut Rosé Champagne

Veuve Clicquot from the Maison Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin rounds out the selections that I am featuring today’s blog. The Yellow Label Brut Champagne is a delightful blend of Pinot Noir and grapes from as many as 50 to 60 different Crus. Pinot Noir is at the core of the Clicquot, with Chardonnay and Meunier. This Champagne is smooth and crisp with tastes of peach, pear and oak. The average price of this Champagne is $60 per bottle. Today, you can find it at many wine stores on sale averaging $40 – $50.
PositiveVines Helpful Hint: A Cru is a French vineyard that produces high quality wines. A Cru can be referred to as a Grand Cru or a Premier Cru.
Keep in mind that my list of bubbly wines is not by any means exhaustive. You may prefer a Spanish Cava, an Italian Asti-Spumante or Prosecco. The mixologists in the group will use their favorite bubbly to make a champagne cocktail. I wish you Bonne Année, Feliz año Nuevo and Happy New Year with a full glass of bubbly and look forward to continuing our journey of learning about wines from around the world!